Deutsche Messe’s CEBIT Cancelled After 33 Years

Hil Anderson

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Senior Editor

November 29, 2018

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HANNOVER, Germany – After 33 years as a premier trade show for the IT industry, Deutsche Messe’s CEBIT is being cancelled and will be at least partially rolled into the HANNOVER MESSE manufacturing exhibition.

Citing declining attendance last year and sluggish booth sales for 2019, Deutsche Messe said CEBIT exhibitors would be welcomed by the larger HANNOVER MESSE. The German organizer said other components of CEBIT could be used as the basis for new vertical events in the IT sector in the future. The CEBIT brand will continue to be used on the three CEBIT shows held in Russia, Australia, and Thailand.

Ending the Hannover edition of CEBIT might not be a terrible shock to the show’s exhibitors. Deutsche Messe leadership said much of CEBIT’s audience was already leaning toward HANNOVER MESSE due to the growth of technology in the manufacturing sector. “Many discussions within the German industry in recent years have involved the thematic overlap between HANNOVER MESSE and CEBIT,” said Jochen Kockler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG. “It is now time to integrate the topics from CEBIT that are relevant for manufacturing, energy, and logistics into HANNOVER MESSE.”

“We are also currently examining the digital market to determine which remaining CEBIT topics we will develop into new events,” Kockler said.

The next HANNOVER MESSE, which takes place April 1-5, 2019 in Hannover, will include a new exhibit area called Industry 4.0 focusing on the merger of IT with industrial automation.

CEBIT made an effort to increase the show’s relevance in 2018 with a significant format change, which included a three-pronged strategy featuring a trade show, technology conference and a public “festival” aimed at giving consumers a first-hand look at the latest in artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. Deutsche Messe also changed the show dates from March to June, which put some additional separation from CES in January. The 2018 show was declared a success with 2,800 participating companies and some 600 speakers. The exhibit space and attendance metrics were not immediately available.

As part of the fallout, Oliver Frese, a member the Deutsche Messe managing board with responsibility for CEBIT, announced his resignation effective Dec. 31.